Molecular, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Boston University

Christina Graves, Ph.D.

I received my PhD from Boston University in 2024, working in the lab of Dr. Kim McCall. My dissertation focused on modeling female reproductive defects post-traumatic injury by leveraging the invertebrate model Drosophila melanogaster. In addition to research, during my graduate studies, I mentored several undergraduate researchers and taught courses including introductory biology, cell biology, and genetics. My postdoctoral work will be conducted in Dr. Christina Graves’ lab and will focus on the impacts of early-life stress and trauma on homeostasis and the development of disease using the zebrafish and cichlid model systems.

Chen A-Zhu K-Dixon CT-Lietzan AD-Graves CL. Acid stress modulates metabolo-inflammatory pathways in oral epithelial cells.. bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology. 2026 Mar 17;. PMID: 41889983. . PMCID:  PMC13015525.

Sang, Y., Dixon, C.T. & Graves, C.L. Orexinergic responses to environmental stressors in the zebrafish gut. J Comp Physiol B (2026).

Erik Norloff, Katherine Coker, Samir Tusneem, Dixon, C.T., Karen Zhu & Christina L. Graves. Chronic early life stress alters the microbial and transcriptional profile of the zebrafish gut. Sci Rep (2026).